2013 Survivors!!!
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Websister.....thoughts and prayers for your Mom.
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Websister --- hugs. .. You are in my thoughts
Tazzy, glad you are having a great time .... Enjoy!0 -
Websister - so sorry to hear about your mom. Will keep her in my thoughts! Feels like you and I are on almost the exact same schedule. I have my first meeting with my radiation oncologist this week and fingers-crossed my last chemo on Friday. And all of that will be followed by a 3-week cycle of herceptin for some period of time. Will find out all the details next time I see my oncologist. In the meantime, I plan on getting on with living a more exciting life post-chemo. First up, trip to an indoor water park with the kiddies in a few weeks. Ah - but what bathing suit will I wear over my overfilled TEs and what will I put on my head while I swim???
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Just want to say good bye, and wish everybody a joyous and beautiful Christmas. I will probably not be posting while gone, and will come back here early in January to see what happened in my absence . . . it better be good things! Still have some last minute things to take care of before we leave tomorrow, but will get it done.
Best wishes and sincere regards,
Liefie
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Liefie...safe travels and happy holidays.
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Liefie; have a WONDERFUL trip home! What a accomplishment. To be well enough to finally travel far. Like Tazzy; relax and enjoy the visit. Your wisdom and warmth will be missed here. xxooooooo's
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PS- 301724: my taste for chocolate came back ...along with my appetite and taste for coffee, meat, salty... That extra ten pounds.... Etc etc
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Hi all! Am I suvivor after completed lumpectomy, chemo and radiation but still on herceptin until probably sept or oct of 2013?
Thanks!
Hugs xoxox0 -
Ladyfighter - Still doing chemo and I'll be on Tamoxifin (or other AIs) until 2018 and consider myself a 2013 Survivor, so yes, you are a survivor of 2013.
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Oh websister that is just too much! Keep us posted.
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Websister...-why?! This is what I say to my higher power...."really?? REALLY?!?!" I will pray for her.
My step father, who is 80, had his second mini stroke two days ago. Last one was in March. Poor mom. He was depressed and a challenge to live with before.... Now I'm not sure. Last time he got function back after a month incarehab facility. I will be better soon so I can help her out some. Argh! "Really?! REALLY?!?!!" ;-)
Ramols/Websister: was thinking of you BOTH nearing the end of your chemo (except Herceptin). I'm so glad your finishing!!! I must admit... I felt a bit guilty receiving less and being done whilst you two were still pushing through. xxoo0 -
Maryah930, thank you so much! I am going to be on arimindex too, starting when I get back home on dec 5 after been in Argentina since nov 11 for DH family visits. I'm seeing MO on dec 6 along with herceptin infusion.
Thanks again ! Xoxo0 -
Websister, hope your mom gets speedy recovery! I get worried about my mom too! She is 82 is living alone. Xoxo
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Websister, sorry to hear about your mom - I hope she improves quickly.
Juneaubugg, too bad about your Step father! Wishing him a quick recovery.
Ladyfighter, hola!! Where in Argentina are you visiting? I have spent some time in B.A and traveled through some parts of the country. It is a beautiful country!
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Ladyfighter - I consider myself a 2013 survivor - still have Herceptin to August 2013 and will be on Tamoxifen for two years then AI for three more years after that
Juneaubug - I hope no one on this site ever feels guilty because they had less treatment than someone else. It is so encouraging to see those of you that I have gotten to know so well complete your treatment and still report back, it gives hope. I also saw your pictures of your hair growth on the Hair thread. That is encouraging also as we were within days of each other in shaving our heads. I am hoping mine starts a comeback soon also, I seem to have lost more of it with the Taxotere/Herceptin.
Thanks to all about the well wishes for my Mom. She has kind of been my responsibility since my father died when I was 14. It seems that since she broke her left hip and humerus last December that she has been in and out of hospital for one on or another. She was hospitalized again one week after I had my mastectomy with C. Diff. followed by other difficulties. She had only just gotten settled into this new lodge 10 days before she fell again. She is waiting for surgery today, there are five others on call. One thing I do know is that I have lots of support and I'm thankful for that.
Take care everyone0 -
Ladyfighter- Of course you are a survivor. Getting through surgery and doing treatments would qualify you as a survivor.
I had a BMX, TE placement (delayed recon) and exchange is set for 12-5, as I was told because I was very hard on myself and felt guilty for being on these boards because I did not have to have have chemo or rads, just AI's for 5 yrs and 3 rounds of iron infusion that those were considered my treatments. All the women on these boards are are fabulous and are amazing support systems. So WELCOME to the survivors club!Websister- Hope your mom is doing well and will get through the next surgery without a hitch. Keep us updated on your mom and yourself when you get the chance. Muah!
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Wow Tazzy great to hear from you- You know Juneau and I have new squishees so I don't know if those arms on the group hug will be long enough now or not! Enjoy your family time and moms cooking while you can.
Websister hope all goes well for you tomorrow. So sorry about your Mom's fall.I will also remember her in my prayers; and Juneau your stepdad too.
Ramols make sure you don't dive in-with those concrete blocks on your chest pulling you down, you might hit your head! Maybe a swim noodle around your head to make sure you don't sink from the te's. Good luck at your MO appt too.
Ladyfighter a big welcome to another survivor. Like Chrisrenee, there were times I felt I got off "easy because I didn't have chemo or rads until another person wrote to me and said" but you had a dmx and reconstruction and I didn't have to go through that" . That made me realize regardless of what treatments we've had as individuals, we all deal with the same type of battles emotionally, physically, etc.
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Tazzy: that's right! What 2Fried said... You'll need larger arms to wrap around our new and improved chests!!!! Woot Woot!! (I for one can take the place of a life vest on a boat; as I now have my own built in floatation devices!)
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So I saw this in another forum posted by rurhbru: "some of that is the post treatment 'let down' everyone feels, whether they are taking an anti-hormonal or not. When you are in active treatment you are in the 'fight or flight' mode, and your whole self is concentrated on making it through, and you have all those appointments with doctors and friends checking in on you etc. and then it's BOOM, "You're done, take these pills and move along, see you in a couple months", and everyone else feels like you're done too, goes back to life as usual, and there you are, not feeling normal at all. And of course, it doesn't help that your body is trying to adjust the lack of estrogen. It does get better, with time you do find a balance. But it is a hard adjustment."
I SO relate to that! It captures how i feel perfectly. Once our active treatments are finished, people assume we're 'well,' just as if we 'd just had the flu or an appendectomy. They have no idea of the physical and emotional struggles we still have -- the very real and aggravating side effects of our anti-hormonal drugs, the depressing process of growing in hair, and the fear that hangs over us every day that a recurrence is just around the corner. We want our 'old' lives back, but that won't happen. we're forever changed. I wonder when I'll feel closer to my old self and further removed from a cancer patient...if ever?0 -
Well said Juneau!
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Juneau- so true! People at work just assume that because I have my hair and not going through chemo/rads that I'm still perfectly fine. They don't realize that BC has taken a toll on my life and body. I will NEVER AGAIN be able to say that i've never had cancer. I will NEVER AGAIN be able to tell myself that it will never happen to me. I will NEVER AGAIN be able to say my entire body is real. I will FOREVER have to say I'm a BC survivor. I will FOREVER have to say that I've had a BMX. I will FOREVER have to say that I have Silicone Implants. People who have never had it before will never understand how WE feel, or think until it happens to someone close to them. Hopefully, it never will.
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Juneau you said it! My RO told me what you just said. And offered happy pills if needed! AND it's exactly how I feel most days. I don't know how to get back to normal. Maybe if my eyebrows were back. Maybe if my boob wasn't still sore. Maybe if my port was out. Maybe! Maybe! Maybe!!! Fuck "maybe" I want "now"! But I don't think it'll ever happen and I can say this here - 10 years ago they told me I'd be fine and not to worry about cancer that they got it all. And they did. Take out the thyroid and you'll be fine and I was. Till this year. I should start a pool - $20 a box - where will it pop up next? Oh and it will. Not if but when.
Ok just read what I typed...talk about Debbie Downer! Sorry. Don't know what's wrong with me lately. Hormone effects from tamoxifen? Who knows! But I will say this:
Juneau the girls are looking fiiiine!😜
All right enough of depressing me. Sorry. Maybe it's an Ativan night. Haven't had to do that since taxol days!0 -
There is a thread called "why was I stringer during treatment". ... Lots of good stuff there
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Well said Juneau and so true. I had to laugh though. My health insurance had a nurse call me about 2 months ago to see "how I was handling my diagnosis" and to tell me that she was just a phone call away if I needed someone to talk to. Well I told her it might have been nice to have had her call last January when I actually got the diagnosis, then in May when I had the DMX. I told her at the time I was one week out from my exchange and had survived so far. SO she said she would call after my 1st exchange and see how it went. She did; ask me if I knew what I should be looking out for etc. I said yep, fever, redness, etc just like I had to look out for after biopsy and lumpectomy and DMX. She said very good. She called me a week later to see how I was healing from the exchange. When I told her I was fine she said wow you are one of the best cases I've had; mentally you sound great and it sounds like you are healing well so I am going to close your case. I couldn't help but tell her that I probably wouldn't have sounded the same in January as I did in September; that maybe the healthcare company should try to reach out to the paients a little sooner if they are going to at all. Then the next week in the mail, I got a nice brochure from the Healthcare that said that sometimes cancer patients go thru a period of depression and to know that they are just a phone call away- if I start to feel down-call 24/7. A week later I got a nice brochure from them about how I should have written directives and a living will! LOL if I wasn't depressed up until then I was after reading that thing. Now I got one about the importance of colon cancer screening. I think they are testing me to see what will make me crack! lol Also my nurse friend hasn't checked on me since exchange #2 so I'm wondering where's the luv?
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Last chemo is tomorrow! Then I will be officially on to the next phase of this journey!
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301724 ... Great news .. One more step.
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Ahh I just posted as well on 2012 sisters
Juneau - so true! And thanks for writing that because I see I am not the only one who is having these feelings. Maybe this is part of the healing as we have all been going 100 mph all through treatments and now we have time to actually reflect and think about everything we have just been through:)
Hugs! Michelle0 -
An interesting article in today's NYTimes that addresses some recent issues under discussion: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/03/new-meaning-and-drive-in-life-after-cancer/?hpw
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2Fried: is it time to update your signature yet? Still 2 lemons?
Mcook: yes, our body slows down and our brain has to catch up. I know this last year was real because I have the scars to prove it every time I look in the mirror, or take my tamoxifen, or have a hot flash, or go a full day without brushing my hair... The list goes on; and yet I still CAN'T BELIEVE this actually happened TO ME! FUCK!!!! Who am I now?? Luckily we will all have the rest of a long and healthy life to figure that out! R0 -
Juneau I should update as I am much happier with the size but the incisions and other areas that were covered in bandage are so red right now from my adhesive allergy and the areas that I had the fat transfers are bruised looking so the only thing I can think of is from 2 lemons to red hot tamales! LOL
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